The Girl in the Red Dress
by BeliebIn1D
Summary: A Zayn Malik One Shot. On a dark, rainy night. Two people's worlds colide. One saves another. And one changes another's world for the greater good.


**The Girl in the Red Dress**

"I still remember the first night I met her." I spoke through the microphone out to the crowd of people before me. Each of them smiled up at me proudly as I spoke through my thickened throat, trying my hardest not to cry. "I can still smell the rain, and I remember each song that was played that night. I remember the amount of drinks I had, and the people that were there."

I paused as memories began to flash though my mind. And suddenly, I was twenty years old again.

The music pounded in my head, my heart beating in time. Alcohol I had practically inhaled ran through my veins. I closed my eyes and let myself free. I still had a tinge of last night's hangover still left in me, so I wasn't exactly feeling great. Plus I had just drunk over ten beers in the time space of an hour.

I walked drunkenly from the dance floor over to the bar and ordered another beer, followed by a judgemental look from the bartender. I attempted to sit up on a stool and almost lost my balance. My head still spun when I finally was able to sit up straight. The bartender came back with my beer and handed it to me. Then he lent over and shouted in my ear. "Don't you think you've had enough to drink?"

"Nope." I responded immediately and began gulping the beer.

People were always wondering why I acted like this. My answer was always that I was young, and I wanted to live my life to the fullest before I couldn't do any of this stuff anymore. No one really knew what the real answer was. I acted like this for two reasons – loneliness, and constant stress.

Partying and getting wasted was my only escape. My only escape from the drama and pressure of my everyday life. People took us for granted. They used us in ways they didn't even recognize. Only we do. And it was hard, really really hard.

I lived in a world where almost every single human being in the world knows who I am. Only the people who don't own a TV, or don't read newspapers or listen to the radio wouldn't know who I am… well, who _we_ are.

But of course being a part of a boyband definitely has its positives. I could get any girl I wanted without even having to introduce myself, and I've got the fame and the job I've wanted ever since I was a lad. Despite the stress and constant attention, my life is perfect. Well… it _was_ perfect.

About six months ago I fell off the wagon. I spent almost every night out drinking my pain away, despite management's orders, and I started smoking again, which my girlfriend dumped me for.

Which brings me to where I am now, drinking my emotions away effortlessly. Trying to block out the constant pain and pressure.

I now understand why every single celebrity has gone to rehab, and why celebrities have died of drug overdose and alcohol. I know because I'm dealing with that right now. And you know what sucks? No one even knows.

I jumped as I felt someone's hand grip my shoulder. I turned around to see a comforting face.

"Heeey Lou!" I exclaimed drunkenly.

I stood up and almost fell over again, but he quickly grabbed my arm tightly to hold me up. "Zayn, I thought we said we were meeting at 9? Looks like you've been here for at least an hour already."

I laughed. "I thought I'd warm the party up for you."

Louis smiled. "Well it's burning hot."

"Just like you're date." I winked at Eleanor who was gripping onto his hand tightly and stood pressed up against him.

"Ew, back off Z." she laughed.

"Sorry, I'm drunk I can't help it." I slurred.

"Oh we know." Louis chucked. "Well you gonna buy me a beer or what?"

I snickered and then lent in towards Louis' ear. "I kind of spent it all on drinks for me."

Louis shook his head. "Typical."

"I've got some money, Lou." Eleanor offered.

"No, no!" he yelled, turning around to face her. He placed his lips on her forehead and smiled. "There is no way I'm letting you pay for drinks. I'm a gentlemen, remember?"

"Hardly." She rolled her eyes.

They both laughed and then Louis kissed her mouth passionately. I felt physically sick watching them. I pictured myself having someone to be like that with, and having someone to talk to, and open myself up to. I laughed to myself, no one would want a screwed up mess like me.

"Oh, and by the way my sister should be here soon." Eleanor beamed. "She flew in from New York last night, and she said she'd come and meet us any time now."

"Is she as good looking as you?" I asked her.

She looked up. "Don't get any ideas Z, she's not that type of girl." She was getting really protective over her.

"Alright, alright." I surrendered my hands and turned back towards the bartender. "YO! BARTENDER!"

'No need to shout, Malik." He snickered. "What do you want?"

"Don't give me attitude." I shouted. "I can have you fired in two minutes!"

"Dude chill, okay." He said calmly. "You're drunk."

"Zayn?" Louis placed his hand on my shoulder and made me back down. I hadn't even realized that I had stood up.

"What can I get you guys?" offered the bartender.

"Two beers please." Louis smiled and then nodded.

I grabbed my beer and walked over to the dance floor, smacking a girl's ass on the way. She squealed cutely and turned around. I cringed to myself. Nice body, horrible face. No natural beauty at all.

"Can I help you?" she walked over to me seductively.

"Well there's many ways you could help me." I grinned. I may as well have a shot at this one. I really didn't feel like going to sleep alone tonight.

"Yeah?" she chuckled. She pressed herself right up against my front, and trailed her finger along my chest. It sent shivers around my body. Her lips moved towards my ear. "What do you want me to do?"

I think that was the easiest I had ever gotten a girl before. "Well…" I paused, pulling away from her. "You could dance with me." I shrugged.

"That's it?" she almost looked shocked.

"Yeah." I laughed. "Take it or leave it baby."

She chuckled. "Baby?"

I hated all this cute talk. I just wanted to get laid.

I grabbed her waist and pulled her body right up against mine. Her black dress was so tight I could see every curve on her tiny body. Our bodies moved to the music in synchronisation and my hands never left her body.

We danced for a good ten minutes, and I could slowly feel my drunkenness starting to wear off. I saw the door open from the other side of the club and noticed a girl with brown hair walk in. I also noticed that it was pouring down with rain outside; it was going to be a fun trip home. The girl that had walked in looked seriously pissed off. I noticed that she was dripping wet as she trudged angrily over to the bar.

"What are you looking at?" said the girl I was dancing with.

I looked back down at her. "Nothing." I shook my head. "What's your name by the way?"

"Crystal." She giggled.

"Well, Crystal." I chuckled. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." She winked. "I'm gonna go get us some drinks, okay?"

I nodded and then she turned around. Her hips swayed as she walked towards the bar, and I bit my lip as I identified her incredible ass.

I looked over to the bar. My mind was searching for the dripping wet girl for some reason. I wasn't sure why though. Eventually my eyes found her, and she was standing with Eleanor and Louis. Why was she with them? Then I realized. She must have been Eleanor's sister.

I walked over to the bar, and as I got closer I could see her clearer and clearer. Her hair that would be dark brown was dripping wet and was soaking her clothes. She wore a fitted black jacket over the top of a red dress that stopped just above her knee. What stood out to me most was her huge, warm, brown eyes. She didn't resemble Eleanor much. She was a completely different girl, I could tell that already.

I found myself slowly moving closer and closer to her without even realizing, like our bodies were being drawn together. She ran her hand through her wet hair and collapsed on a stool opposite Eleanor and Louis. It looked as if she was telling them a story, and not a happy story by the looks of things.

Just looking at this girl made me feel different. I didn't really understand what was going on. I had never felt like this before in my entire life.

Eventually I reached her, and her sweet and innocent voice filled my ears.

"….. so I finally got to the airport and then found out that my flight was delayed." She was winging, but she was still able to stay cute. She had a tiny bit of an American accent over her English one. As she talked, I became more and more intrigued with the girl in the red dress. "So, I waited at the airport for a good half hour before I could catch another plane, which was just amazing." I envied her sarcasm. "Then when I finally got here, I had to wait for a cab _in the pouring rain_. When I arrived at the hotel, they said that I wasn't even booked in! So now I don't have a place to stay. Then I walked here in the pouring rain with people giving me weird looks, and now I'm here!" she threw her hands up in the air. "Plus my shoes are ruined."

"Well that just topped it all off didn't It." laughed Eleanor.

"It's not funny, El." She grimaced. "I'm seriously pissed. I just need a drink." She looked over to the bartender. "I'll have a beer please." He nodded and then left.

"I'm Zayn." I spat out, holding out my hand.

"Hi." She said and quickly shook my hand, hardly looking at me.

"Zayn, this is Bella, my sister." said Eleanor.

"I figured." I smiled. She was so breathtakingly beautiful it was insane. I actually couldn't bring myself to take my eyes off her. Eleanor noticed immediately.

"Z!" she slapped my arm.

"Ouch!" I moaned. "What?"

"You're drunk!" she exclaimed.

'Not so much anymore." I said. It was the truth, I wasn't feeling very tipsy anymore and I could think straight. I looked at Bella again and couldn't help but smile as I watched her sip her drink. "Do you wanna dance with me?" I said quietly.

She looked up at me innocently, and then looked behind her confusedly. "Me?"

"Yes, you." I chuckled.

"Why?" she said.

"Because!" I exclaimed. "Because I want to dance with you."

"Zayn?" I heard a cute voice behind me. I turned around to see Crystal waiting with our drinks. Shit, I had completely forgotten about her.

"Looks like someone else has already got the part." said Bella. She turned back towards Eleanor and started talking again. I wanted to dance with _her_ though.

"Crystal…" I began, facing the girl I had planned to have sex with tonight. "Why don't you find another guy tonight? I really just want to be with my friends."

"Oh…" she looked offended, but I really didn't care. Bella wouldn't leave my mind. "Okay. I guess I'll see you around then." She smiled evilly, and the turned to walk away. But before I had the time to walk away as well, she whipped around and poured her drink down my shirt. Eleanor, Louis and Bella all gasped. "That's what you get, you dick!" she yelled, and then she walked straight out of the club without looking back.

"Well…" I said, grabbing a serviette and trying to clean the damage. "That was interesting."

Bella burst out laughing, and El, Louis and I all looked at her strange reaction. Her laughter was so contagious, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I watched her giggle like a first grade girl with pig-tails.

When she finally stopped laughing, she took a deep breath. "You should probably get cleaned up then, right?" she smiled, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

"You should probably get dried off." I grinned.

She looked down at her soaking wet dress and coat. "Yeah, probably. Except I have nowhere to actually do that." She shrugged.

"Come home with me." I said immediately.

"Oh no!" shouted Eleanor. "Z, if you try anything on her I will cut your balls off. I know how you treat women and I am not letting you anywhere near my little sister."

"Oh calm down, El." Bella said cheekily. "I just need a shower and some clothes and I'll be set to go." She hopped off her stool and grabbed her handbag. "Besides…" she looked up at me and smiled. "I'll cut his balls off if he tries something on me as well."

A huge grin erupted on my face. I had never met anyone like her before. No one.

Bella kissed her sister on the cheek goodbye and gave Louis a hug, and then she walked straight towards the door. I stood in shock, not really understanding what was going on.

"You coming or what, Malik?" she shouted from across the club.

I grabbed my wallet and phone off the counter and pretty much sprinted after her. It was still raining outside, but she was waiting for me under the cover of a café next door.

"Do you live far from here?" she asked sweetly.

"No, I live just down the road." I pointed to the block of huge apartments down the road. I had moved there for many reasons. One being that alcohol was only a few metres away.

"Perfect." She grinned. Then she grabbed my hand and pretty much dragged me across the street in the pouring rain. We almost got hit by a car at least three times, but all we did was laugh about it. We both couldn't stop laughing as we ran through the pouring rain. And I couldn't help but look over at her and smile as she laughed.

We eventually reached my apartment, our fingers still laced together. We heaved and huffed, still laughing as we were now safe from the rain. Bella leant back against the wall and relaxed, trying to find her breath. I watched her carefully, taking in every single detail she beheld. It felt like I had known her for years. I had only felt that one other time in my life, which was the week before X Factor, and I spent it with the boys.

I brought myself to tear my eyes away from her for one second to try and find my keys. I ruffled around in my back pocket trying to find them. I pulled out my cigarettes and my lighter, and felt them get snatched out of my hand immediately.

"Hey!" I snapped. I looked up to see Bella frowning disapprovingly.

"You do know these are unhealthy right?" she said.

"Of course I know." I said softly. I was so ashamed.

"Good." She walked over to the bin and threw it all in the bin. "Step one, throw it all away." Then she walked back over to me and smiled.

"Feel better?" she asked.

"Not really." I said truthfully.

"C'mon." she sighed, grabbing me by the jacket and pulling me inside the building. I pulled out my keys as we headed for the elevator.

Once we were inside I pressed the button for the top level, and then up we went. Bella spent the whole trip looking at herself in the mirror and frowning. "I look like Bellatrix Lestrange."

There was silence for a few seconds, and I wondered if I should say the words that were on my mind. But it was too late, they had already come out.

"What?" she said. "I didn't hear you?"

I cleared my throat and looked down at the floor. "Um…" I paused. "I said that you're beautiful."

I looked up at her. She had the most breathtaking smile on her face. My stomach started to do weird things. I was so unsure of what was happening right now, I never felt like this with girls, and I definitely never got _nervous_ about girls. After half an hour of knowing this girl, I was already starting to feel like a different person.

Before she could respond to my compliment, the elevator beeped and then the door opened. She walked straight out and I showed her through the corridors towards my apartment.

"So how long have you been smoking for?" she said quietly.

My stomach jolted. "Um, about six months."

"Why?" she asked bluntly.

"What do you mean 'why'?"

"What made you turn to smoking?" she asked as we reached my door. No one had ever asked me that question before, and I was unsure how I should respond.

I pulled out my key and tried to find the words to say. "It's a long story." I unlocked the door and we both walked into the warmth of my apartment. I took off my jacket and placed it on the bench where all my other crap was.

"I like long stories."

I turned around to see Bella standing a few metres away with her jacket now folded over her arms. I could really see her properly now, and if I had it my way, I would have taken her in my arms and kissed her right there and then. But on some level I didn't want to. On some level I just wanted to sit with her, and laugh with her for hours about stupid things we had both done. I wanted to share stories with her and listen to things she had done in her life that had made her smile.

I nodded. "Don't you want to have a shower first?"

"It can wait." She said quietly.

She walked over to the living room and sat down on the sofa. I followed her and sat down beside her. I was about to tell a complete random some things I had never told or spoken about to anyone during my entire struggle. And the weird part was, that I actually _wanted_ to tell her. She didn't feel like a complete random at all. In fact she felt completely different to that.

I stared into her warm brown eyes and studied every feature of her perfect face. I was speechless. Every time I looked at her my heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't find any words that would come out of my mouth.

The only way I could describe my emotions right now was not through words, but through actions. So that's what I did.

I lent in close to her, and she moved away slightly when she realized what I was about to do. "What are you doing?" she whispered. Her breath on my mouth sent trickles up my back.

"Since you dismissed my invitation to dance…" I began. "Will you do something else for me? Just once?"

She paused for a bit and then bit her lip. "What might that be?"

I moved one more inch closer to her and closed my eyes. Then I whispered, "Kiss me."

And then it happened.

My world fit together perfectly. What had been messed up pieces trying to find their way together, was now a perfect puzzle with a meaning. The girl in my arms, the girl I was kissing, provided that meaning. And I knew within that split second, that she was the one.

I adjusted my glasses before they slid down my nose. The tears had come as fast as the memories had. And now my face was stained with those memories. I looked back down at my speech and cleared my throat.

"The time I spent with my Bella was the best time of my life. 63 years of it to be exact. She made everything beautiful. She made me carry on with my life, and she made me want to be a better man." My eyes welled up as I read the next line. "She was the reason I breathed." My voice cracked on the last word. "She was the reason I am still here to this day." I looked up and spotted my children sitting in the front row of the church with tears streaming down their faces. "And now… I have three beautiful children to share with the world. Laura, Simon and Ivy." I smiled at them. "My children, I hope one day you each find someone you will love as much as I loved my Bella. I hope you find the happiness and the joy that your mother brought to me. I hope you find someone who will save you from the depths of darkness, and bring you back to the world of sunlight and love."

I looked over to the coffin that lay next to where I stood. A picture frame of us lay on top. It was from our wedding day. And we were surrounded by our best friends, each of us smiling as if our cheeks were about to explode.

I looked up at the window that was carved into the roof of the church and smiled as the sun beamed down.

"I love you, Bella Wesley Calder."


End file.
